The Zimbabwe Republic Police is facing a worsening crisis in violent crime, reporting a 4% rise in armed robbery cases between January and August this year compared to the same period in 2024.
Deputy Police Commissioner for Administration, Leny Ncube, disclosed the concerning figures while giving oral evidence to the Defence, Security and Home Affairs Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. While total general robbery cases saw an 8% drop, Ncube confirmed that "there is a concerning 4% increase in the most violent category, robberies committed using firearms."
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The police service is struggling to combat these sophisticated criminal syndicates due to severe resource shortages. Ncube highlighted that the ZRP fleet is dangerously outdated, noting that rapid response is hampered as their "ageing fleet is susceptible to breakdowns, hampering rapid response to crime scenes."
The statistics reveal a critical deficit: the ZRP requires 9,320 operational vehicles but currently maintains only 2,830. Of the existing fleet, a substantial 1,007 vehicles are grounded due to mechanical faults, leaving just 1,823 operational vehicles available for policing duties.
Compounding the resource gap, Ncube reported that criminal syndicates are becoming increasingly sophisticated. These groups, sometimes involving former members of the security services, are employing specialized skills, cloned vehicles, counter-intelligence, and advanced technology. Ncube stressed that the police "lack advanced technology to monitor the movement of sophisticated and transnational criminals," arguing that technology-driven policing is now "essential" for the ZRP to remain relevant.
To help mitigate the risk, the police are appealing to businesses to enhance their own protection by investing in working CCTV and alarm systems.
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